New Delhi: "The National Human Rights Commission has seen with concern several recent media reports on sexual assault in different parts of the country violating human rights of victim girls and women. Wherever and in whatever number these incidents have happened, the Commission deplores all such acts, which have a direct bearing on human rights, including right to life, dignity and liberty.

Women have been accorded an exalted and pious position in our culture and such attacks on their dignity are completely against and alien to cultural values and virtues that our society has cherished since time immemorial. Persons guilty of such heinous crimes against women deserve to be meted out stringent punishment as per the provisions of the law through fast track courts to set an example. The Commission on its part has been taking cognizance of such incidents and ensuring some justice to the victims as per its mandate.

The Commission has also noticed that several incidents of sexual assaults have happened when women had gone out of their houses to answer the call of nature in open as there was no facility of toilets at their residences. The Commission appeals to all the stakeholders, including the individuals, governments and civic agencies to expeditiously work, among other priorities, towards ensuring a toilet for each household.

The Commission is of the view that there is a need to create greater gender sensitivity among the citizenry of the country. Keeping in view this sensitization, it is necessary that immediate steps are taken to introduce topics/subjects in school curriculum which are likely to instill greater gender sensitivity among the children of the country so that they develop respect for women and grow up with an awareness that women constitute an integral and important part of our lives/society and they are not to be treated as objects.

Some incidents have come to the notice of the Commission wherein women have been raped/molested/maltreated to demonstrate dominance of one caste/class over the other. The Commission strongly condemns such incidents. The Commission is of the view that victimization of women on social or economic grounds or on the basis of caste or religion or to settle a score is an abominable act.

The Commission urges all the State Governments to ensure security and safety of women and to immediately work towards creation of a social environment in which women are accorded due respect, are treated with dignity, feel secure and are able to move around both during day and night without fear or sense of insecurity."